Blowout preventer



Jan. '30, l1945. D. usi-IAFFER BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed v May l0 1943 preventer.

Patented Jan. 30, 1945 UNITED Smits PATENT @Fri-cc 2,368,332 f mwovrraavan'raa `flvliariu.j shamsalinea, cam. Apurimac May-f1.0, 1mg-smal nu. assign y Y "if mailles- ICl-fze-ia Th-isinvention 'hasv to do withjsdeepwlil 21pparatus and particularly deep well drilling:.and

lis aa -hlovveout :preventer adapted @to be installed inv the 'head works \of `a well-casing or '.pnactically instantaneous use when evidence of 4'blew-out is given `or, .onemay beireasonably expected.

In deep well operations tool strings 4oli various' kinds are lowered into operated'in :lining-.casa y ings Lof ka :hole .and it :is highly desirable 'to have, in the casing works at zthe vhead aoif the fholebeing' I drilled, la .device which lean 4 be quioklyractuated'itu snugly close .onto 'an introduced tool string;

instance fdrill *.pipe, 'to 'prevent natural'` 'pressurev of well fluids from blowingoutzat thelheadfoff :the well hole. More .or less 1complex' means 'rior :such .prevention have been Idev-isedand installed buty the initial stock `cost and the', cost lof 'instale 'lation of `the device land/.necessary equipmenity is, particularly/wunder .current 1cauditionsr ohsuppiy vide .la simple, practical, substantial, low cost and easily installed and reliably operative blow-out Especially an Objectis to eliminate as far as possible or to greatly reduce the amount of extraneous apparatus needed for the mere actuation of the principal element of the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blow-out preventer which will enable the ready passage of elements of the drilling string, inclusivev of the commonly used pipe protector.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a blowout preventer whose operational parts can be motivated by the mere turning of one element by any suitably motivated, rotary drive connector,

of a closeup or remote source ofpower.

The invention consists in certain advancements in the deep well industry as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, ad-

ditional objects and advantages as hereinafter' developed, and whose construction,` :combinations and details of means, and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the descriptionof the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and. adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, `spirit and principle of the invention as it is more particularly claimed inthe addendum; v

Figure 1 is an axial section of the blow-out preventer.

Figure 2 is a plan of the dissembled running ring of the device, and

Figure 3 is power-side elevation of the unit.

As here shown a substantial vertical barrel 2 has a basal flange 3 to the bottom face of which g .a Isubiacent -well casingffittmg (not shown) -is rigidly Ibolted or othrwisenfastened, all vin con .axial alinement. :Screwed .internallyi-n fthe lower androflithe fharrefl :is a bushing f4 on `which sets xwhich .rotates a worm 'gear E fin the tor-,moi .a

iis

Lso

Thereforenanlobiect Lof the invention ist@ pro.- f

`constituting. :segments lof :screw i:threads "inat.ch

Lfemale .threads nor .thread l,grooves :8 =cut in the peripherycfiaicylindricalthimble a.

'The thimble :is splined4 and slidably nts 5in-an .intemalshoulder :Ifiofrrthe :barrel and in an .equi- Bored` face: of the', bushing-V 4. vPacking sI I .is placed in the bore -face of the bushing :to .seal fthe in trudedasbddyiof thefthimble 8 .and 1a`toppacking '1:2 snakes sassealabetween. thertop or 'the running i gear ".6 land thefadjacent, :bottom face .fof .the in .ternalrbarrelshoulder JIL The upper .end of the thimble isvenlarged Ioverhang 'the shoulder irl) landagalnst the :same in. yafretracted position .as effected thy the rrovtannin. or the .summing ring `gear .6: and :the screw ,action sof :the 'lugsV lain `:the thread agrooves :of ,the

thimble. The enlarged upper end of the thimble is provided with an internal, upwardly ared, in-

verted conicseat 9a on which normally rests the lower, conical end I3 of a-sti but deformable cylindrical f choke I4 having an internal bore about equal to that of the thimble 9 so that parts of a made up drill string, and appliances may be .l

lOWereddOWninand pulled from the casing on which this blow-out preventer is mounted. The f g choke is preferably made of a suitable quality and appropriately rm rubber stock. n l

`The upper end of the choke has projecting bolts I5 mounted in a hanger rngl'landed in the upper, threaded bore II of the barrel zand y v held bya lock-bushing I8.`

The normal assembled, uncompacted positional relation of the thimble 9 and its superjacent choke I4 issuch that there is capacity of a considerable degree of axial upward movement of the thimble toward the lower end of the fixed. choke I4. A simple, reliable and powerfulmeans are here provided to eiect the axial motion of the thimble 9 at any time that it maybe desir-f' able to compress'the lower end of the hollow Y choke I4 and cause it to Acrowd hard inwardly against the presented'outer surface of any tool string `part that may at the time be juxtaposed in the choke.

A preferred form of actuating means includes f a helical pinion or short screw I9 boxed in the side'of the barrel and constantly meshing with the companion gear B. Rotary motion from any suitable manual or prime motor source is transmitted through a stud shaft 20 of the pinion I9 to turn the latter with the result that the externally thread-grooved thimble 9 will, in one direction move up in the barrel and compact and conupon axial movement of the contractor in one direction in the barrel, and means for axially` moving the contractor and means fixed to the barrel and anchoring the choke element against axial shift bodily with or'by the contractor.

2. A blow-out preventer having a barrel, a choke nxedly mounted in and peripherally seating on the bore Wall of the barrel and bored for passage of a tool part through the barrel and having a contractive end portion, a thimble mounted in the barrel for axial shift to engage andcompress and telescope on said end of the choke, and means to actuate the thimble.

3. The preventer of claim 2; the thimble having an external helical groove and said means including a screw part Working in the said groove to shift the said thimble axially.

4. The preventer of claim 2; said means including a gear ring mounted in the barrel and through which the thimble extends axially and having an actuating connection with the thimble. 5. A blow-out preventer having a barrel, a thimble axially shiitable in the barrel, a, contractive choke member xedly mounted in the barrel and seated on its bore wall and coaxial with the thimble and having an end seated on and contractive thereby and forming therewith a passageway for a tool part, a rotative device in' the barrel and interengaged with the thimble to axially shift it, and means for rotating the said device; the choke and said element having meeting, conic end faces.

6. The preventer of claim 5; the said device having a screw-effect coaction with the thimble.

7. The preventer of claim 5; said means including a gear and pinion mechanism mounted in the barrel.

8. A blow-out preventer of the class in which there is a normally open passage about a tool part which is axially disposed in the preventer in normal operation of the tool so that there is no normal engagement friction of the said part in the preventer; said preventer embodying a barrel, a removable choke element, iixedly anchored and seating on the barrel wall, and an actuable thimble telescoping on and contracting one end of the choke upon relative movement in the barrel as to the anchored element.

`operative in the barrel telescopically engaging and radially contracting one end of the choke when moved therealong.

12. A blow-out preventer having a barrel, an anchored choke element and an axially shiftable thimble iitted in the bore of the barrel; the said *element and the thimble having telescoped end lportions of differential slope so that the lip of the choke is radially contracted upon initial relative shift action of the thimble as to the element.

DONALD U. SHAFFER. 

